Local Information :: sports

The Rugby Football Union is the national governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England, with 1,900 autonomous rugby clubs in its membership.

The clubs are grouped within 35 Constituent Bodies, comprised of counties - some individual, some combined - the three armed forces, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, England Schools Rugby Football Union and England Students.

All of this is supported by the RFU's 50 Rugby Development Officers, eight Regional Development Managers and no less than 150 Community Rugby Coaches across the country, who provide some 30,000 coaching sessions a year for young people.

The RFU employs approximately 500 paid staff and helps to train and support up to 40,000 volunteers whose roles include:

Organising rugby activity, including the playing, coaching and refereeing of matches and recreational rugby at all levels